Apparatus for drilling holes in ladder stringers



Jan. 15, 1963 J. J. AQUlLlNO APPARATUS FOR DRILLING HOLES IN LADDER STRINGERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1961 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH J. AQUILINO a LX744 ATTORNEY -mounted relative to the drill means.

United Stat 3,073,187 APPARATUS FOR DRILLING HQLES IN LADDER STRINGERS Joseph J. Aquilino, 1511 Mifllin, Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Sept. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 140,954 3 Claims. (Cl. 77-62) (Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), see. 266) ladders for use on ships, since due to various factors,

such as the unequal distances between ships decks, confined ships areas, etc., it is often necessary to install the 'ladders at different angles to the bulkhead. This requires that the ladders beconstructed to suit the existing conditions in order that theladder treads are properly received between'the ladder stringers to dispose the treads generally horizontal to the ships deck.

Prior to this invention, it has been the practice, in

3 building metal ladders for ships, to develop a full scale layout or templates of the ladder stringers in order to -locate holes in the stringers at the desired angle for the proper receptionof the ladder treads. sumed and consequent labor expense involved in develop- The time coning the layouts or templates has been substantial and, additionally, and of great importance, is the fact that since the layouts or templates have in the past been made on the basis 'of mathematical calculations, errors have often occurred which have resulted in inaccurate ladder constructions.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide for the formation of linear sets of apertures in selected spaced areas of a workpiece which eliminates errors of calculation. Other objects will be evident from an understanding of the details of structure of the invention.

The invention comprises a base or table on which a horizontal positioning plate is pivotally mounted and which receives a workpiece to be drilled. The workpiece is disposed on the positioning plate lengthwise thereof and maintained between sets of vertical guides to be manually advanced beneath a drill which is mounted above the positioning plate and the workpiece for forming the apertures or holes. The positioning plate is provided with a transverse slot permitting it to be angularly adjusted about its pivoted mounting and a coacting locking pin is provided to set the plate in accordance with the predetermined angle at which the workpiece is to be Indexing means in the form of abutments are provided to coact with the workpiece to interrupt its movement along the posItioning plate and permit holes to be formed therein.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the positioning plate, drill guide mechanism and the indexing mechanism.

FIG. 2 is a view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1 with some details removed for the purpose of clarity and showing one form of drill mechanism for forming holes in a particular form of workpiece.

FIG. 3 is a view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, the work support comprises a table or base on which is mounted a positioning plate indieat cated at 11. The positioning plate is in the form of a fiat, plate-like member which is pivoted to the table or base by means indicated at 12 and shown as a bolt in FIG. 2. The positioning plate 11 is irregular in shape and has a flared front end portion 13 and a rear end portion which has a lateral extension indicated generally at 14. The positioning plate 11 is provided with vertical guides 15 which are arranged at spaced intervals on either side of its longitudinal center line, as shown, to provide a path therebetween along which a workpiece represented at 16 is advanced from the front end portion 13.

A pair of vertical front and rear frames 20 and 20a respectively, which are generally E-shaped, have outer leg portions 2121, as shown in FIG. 2, which are fixed as by welding to the table 10 and embrace or extend across the positioning plate 11 and workpiece 16. The workpiece 16 as shown in FIG. 2 is in the form of two similar channel members which are disposed in reversed or back to back relationship. The rear supporting frame 20a is provided with a horizontal lug 22 as in FIG. 1 which is apertured at 23 for receiving a pin 23a which when inserted therein provides an abutment for the forward edge of the workpece 16. The central legs 25 of the E-shaped frames 20 and 20a receive therebetween a horizontal guide" plate 26 which is provided with spaced apertures 27-27 for the passage of a drill spindle as will be explained later in connection with FIG. 2.

The relative positions of the positioning plate and the vertical frames 2t 20a, as shown in FIG. 1, have been determined on the basis of the greatest angle required for drilling holes in channel members which are used in the construction of ship ladders in order to position the treads generally horizontal to the ships deck. It has been found that this angle is in the neighborhood 40 to the horizontal across the workpiece and from the shown positions of FIG. 1 it is only necessary to adjust the workpiece for drilling holes at desired lesser angles along a scale S toward the 20 graduation which has been determined as the least angle at which the holes would be drilled to position the treads properly or horizontal to a ships deck. For this purpose, the front end portion 13 of the positioning plate is slotted at 30 on an are from the pivot joint 12 and is provided with a locking arrangement comprising a set screw 31 which is screwthreadedly mounted in the table or-base 10 and a cooperating clamping washer 32.

In FIG. 1, the pin 23a provides an abutment or stop for the forward edge of the workpiece 16 and the first holes will then be formed by means of the guide apertures 2727 in the horizontal guide plate 26.

In order to adjust the distance between the remaining sets of holes to be formed after the first holes are formed, an indexing device is provided which is in the form of a generally Z-shaped unit having a top plate 40 and a bottom plate 41 which function to provide a second or adjustable stop. The top plate 40 is disposed, like the horizontal lug 22, in a plane above the upper surface of the workpiece and the bottom plate 41 is adjustably mounted on the lateral extension 14 of the positioning plate 11 and movable manually along its upper surface. To this end, the lower plate 41 is provided with a slot 42 within which is located a second locking means in the form of a set screw 43 which is threadedly mounted in the extension 14 and a clamping washer 44. A second scale S is located on the lateral extension 14 of the work support 11 and is graduated for measuring distances between a four inch spread from 8 inches to 12 inches measured from the line on which the guide apertures 2727 are formed. This spread of four inches having been found to be that generally used for locating the treads in ship ladder construction. The second stop is formed by the provision of an aperture 47 in top plate 49 which functions to receive, for example, the pin 23a after the first holes are formed which extends into one hole of the first formed set of holes to stop movement of the workpiece for forming the second set and the operation continued for forming the remaining sets of holes. In FIG. 1, the distance between sets 'of'holes is eight and threefourths inches shown by the position of a reference mark 48 relative to scale S which is located on the bottom .plate 41.

As shown in FIG. 2, vertical plates 50 and 51 are fixed respectively to the frames 29 and 20a and to the table or base for supporting an upper horizontal plate 52 which supports the drill and its operating mechanism. For this purpose a pair of vertical plates 53-53 are mounted on the horizontal plate 52 and each has upper and lower apertures therein for fixedly receiving upper and lower cylinders 54 and 55 which form part of a guide mechanism for movement of a motor M transversely of the workpiece. The other part of the guide mechanism comprises upper and lower pistons 5657 which are respectively mounted for movement in the cylinders 54 and 55,

each having its inner end secured to and supporting a vertical plate 58 and each having at its outer end a flange 59.

The vertical backing plate 58 is arranged to support and to permit vertical movement of the motor M relative to the workpiece andto this end a bracket 60 has an apertured base 61 at its lower end which receives the lower end of the motor and the bracket is movable relative to the backing plate 58 by means of guides 62-62 and 63'63 as shown in detail in FIG. 3 which are carried by the plate 58 and provide a space for reception of the bracket 60. The motor spindle and drill structure is indicated at 67 and extends through the apertured base 61 toward the drill guide 26. The bracket 60 is suspended from the plate 58 by means of a lower horizontal shelf 70 which extends therefrom and has apertures for the passage of a pair of similar rods 71 which are disposed on either side of the upper cylinder'54 and receive at their upperend portionsan upper horizontal plate 72. Each rod 71 carries a spring 73 which is maintainedin'compression between the shelf 70 and plate 72 andurges the bracket 60 and motor M constantly upward. The bracket 60 is provided at its upper end with a horizontal exten- 'sion'74 which reposes on the horizontal plate 72 and one apertured end 75 of a clamping plate 76 is assembled with horizontal plate 72 by the rods 71 and nut means 77 while vertical pins 78 are secured to the other apertured end 79 of the clamping plate 76.

The motor M is manipulated in both its transverse movement and vertical movement relative to the workpiece '16 by means of a pair of arms 80 which actuate a horizontal pin 81, which is connected to the vertical pins 78, by means of a slot 82 provided in each arm. For this purpose, the arms 80 are pivotally mounted to vertical connecting plates 83 which are rigid with one of the vertical supports 53 and t e slots-82 are made somewhat oversize with-respect'to the diameter of horizontal pin 81 "permitting the motor M and associated structure to be "moved downwardly against springs 73 by a downward force on the arms-80 toposition thedrill in one of the guide apertures 27. The slots 82 are elongate and of suflicient length to permit transverse movement of the motor and associated structure from one guide hole 27 to the other, for example, from the position of the drill in FIG. 2 until the flanges on the pistons 56 and 57 abut the outer ends of cylinders 54 and 55 to position the drill in alignment with the other guide hole 27.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for drilling holes at spacedintervals in an elongate workpiece which comprises a work table having guide means providing a straight path for movement of a workpiece from one end of the path to its other end, a frame disposed across the path having opposed depending leg portions secured to the table and an intermediate portion disposed above said path permitting passage of the workpiece thereunder, an apertured generally horizontal drill guide extending from the intermediate portion of the frame toward said one end of the path, a first apertured generally horizontal lug extending from the intermediate portion of the frame toward said other end of the path, said first lug receiving a stop pin for abutting the front edge of the workpiece as it is moved along the path from its one end whereby the workpiece is positioned under the drill guide, a drill supported by said table having a drill tool depending therefrom, said drill being .manipulable for insertion of the drill tool through the apertured drill guide to form a first drilled hole in the workpiece, an indexer supported by the table adjacent said other end of the path, said indexer mounting a second apertured generally horizontal lug above the path permitting the workpiece to be moved thereunder, said second lug receiving a stop pin which is insertable into said first drilled hole and said second lug also being adjustable relative to the drill guide to select distances from the first drilled hole for stopping movement of'the workpiece to permit the drilling of a second hole and successive holes in the workpiece.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, further characterized by said table including a flat plate having guide lugs extending vertically therefrom in a pair of parallel rows providing a straight path for movement of the workpiece and said drill guide having a plurality of transversely aligned apertures therein permitting sets of aligned apertures to be drilled in the workpiece when movement of the workpiece is interrupted by the stop pins and said flat plate being 'pivoted to the table providing for adjustment of the angle of the sets of aligned apertures.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1, further characterized by the path being formed of a pair of parallel rows of guide lugs which extend vertically of the table.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 695,980 Wilhelm ..Mar. 25, 1902 2,6l2,793 Timpner Oct. 7, 1952 2,757,560 Ridgway Aug. 7, 19.5.6 FOREIGN PATENTS 575,360 Great Britain Feb.'1 4, 194 

1. APPARATUS FOR DRILLING HOLES AT SPACED INTERVALS IN AN ELONGATE WORKPIECE WHICH COMPRISES A WORK TABLE HAVING GUIDE MEANS PROVIDING A STRAIGHT PATH FOR MOVEMENT OF A WORKPIECE FROM ONE END OF THE PATH TO ITS OTHER END, A FRAME DISPOSED ACROSS THE PATH HAVING OPPOSED DEPENDING LEG PORTIONS SECURED TO THE TABLE AND AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION DISPOSED ABOVE SAID PATH PERMITTING PASSAGE OF THE WORKPIECE THEREUNDER, AN APERTURED GENERALLY HORIZONTAL DRILL GUIDE EXTENDING FROM THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE FRAME TOWARD SAID ONE END OF THE PATH, A FIRST APERTURED GENERALLY HORIZONTAL LUG EXTENDING FROM THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE FRAME TOWARD SAID OTHER END OF THE PATH, SAID FIRST LUG RECEIVING A STOP PIN FOR ABUTTING THE FRONT EDGE OF THE WORKPIECE AS IT IS MOVED ALONG THE PATH FROM ITS ONE END WHEREBY THE WORKPIECE IS POSITIONED UNDER THE DRILL GUIDE, A DRILL SUPPORTED BY SAID TABLE HAVING A DRILL TOOL DEPENDING THEREFROM, SAID DRILL BEING MANIPULABLE FOR INSERTION OF THE DRILL TOOL THROUGH THE APERTURED DRILL GUIDE TO FORM A FIRST DRILLED HOLE IN THE WORKPIECE, AN INDEXER SUPPORTED BY THE TABLE ADJACENT SAID OTHER END OF THE PATH, SAID INDEXER MOUNTING A SECOND APERTURED GENERALLY HORIZONTAL LUG ABOVE THE PATH PERMITTING THE WORKPIECE TO BE MOVED THEREUNDER, SAID SECOND LUG RECEIVING A STOP PIN WHICH IS INSERTABLE INTO SAID FIRST DRILLED HOLE AND SAID SECOND LUG ALSO BEING ADJUSTABLE RELATIVE TO THE DRILL GUIDE TO SELECT DISTANCES FROM THE FIRST DRILLED HOLE FOR STOPPING MOVEMENT OF THE WORKPIECE TO PERMIT THE DRILLING OF A SECOND HOLE AND SUCCESSIVE HOLES IN THE WORKPIECE. 